Happy Birthday
by generalquistis
Summary: Tifa celebrates her 23rd birthday with the most unusual companion she could ever be with and unexpectedly, they become friends. However, some good things must come to an end rather quickly...


**Happy Birthday**

Author's Note: The setting of this fic is post-Advent Children. This is a RufusxTifa, in case you're in a blur. So if you have anything against the pairing, scoot! Don't even bother to read if you'll just bash them and the author in the end with your review. Unless you're open-minded or you simply like the pairing, let us begin…

oOoOo

The first thing that entered Tifa's mind on the early morning of May 3rd when she woke up was a self-greeting. "Happy birthday, Tifa." She whispered to herself as she stared mindlessly at the ceiling. She did not exactly feel very glad that day, even though usually she would be happy first thing in the morning whenever she celebrated her birthday. For a birthday present, she received disappointing news: Cloud had moved out, Yuffie went back to Wutai for the weekend because her father was already looking for her, Barret had gone somewhere with the WRO to verify with the new source of energy and he will not be back until the next month, Cid went to Rocket Town to see Shera, Red XIII went with Cloud, she did not know where Vincent had decided to sleep the other night, and Marlene and Denzel are taking a vacation with Yuffie in Wutai.

Tifa found herself basically lonely with no friends around her to celebrate her birthday with. So she lazily remained on her bed, staring at the ceiling and trying not to mind the street noises of Edge coming from outside her bedroom window, and after a few moments, she drifted off to sleep again.

The next thing she knew, it was already 1 in the afternoon. Her head ached because she overslept but she forced herself to get up, go the bathroom and freshen up so that she could relieve the pain in her head. She figured that she also needed to eat because she had missed breakfast and lunch. Once she got out of the bathroom in an old white bathrobe after spending around 20 minutes inside, she went straight to her closet. When she opened it and studied her own wardrobe, she thought that no matter what happens, she would still try to remain optimistic and celebrate her birthday, even if it means celebrating it all by herself. So she picked out an unusual outfit; something that she had never worn before but planned on wearing on a special occasion. It was a white sundress with black roses as its print all over it. The length of the sundress's skirt reached up to the middle of her calves. It was one of the most expensive things she had bought for herself after saving enough to buy whatever luxury she would want to add up into her life.

After she got dressed and put on a pair of wedge slip-ons, she took a deep breath and examined herself in front of the mirror. She took a deep breath. "I look beautiful only for myself today…" she thought with a slight smile on her face, although her eyes reflected a feeling of dissatisfaction. With that, she picked up her purse and her mobile phone. On her way out of the house, she was checking her text messages. She was expecting greetings from her friends who were away, but found only one greeting which came from Yuffie. At least it lifted up her spirits a little. "Maybe tonight I won't open my bar so that I can have some me-only quality time… yes, I think I'll do that…" she decided quietly with a bitter look on her face before opening the front door; but she stopped in her tracks and she jumped in surprise upon seeing a blonde young man clad in white and holding a cane with his right hand. Tifa thought she felt her heart stop for five seconds when she recognized him to be Rufus ShinRa.

"Good day." Rufus greeted as he focused his gaze on Tifa. On the other hand, Tifa was wondering what he was doing there at her doorstep.

"Yes, what can I do for you?" she asked as she looked at the cane and then at Rufus's legs. She could tell that he was still learning how to walk again and was having a hard time keeping his balance for a long time because the cane and his legs were wobbling slightly.

"I just stopped by to visit. Is Cloud home?" he asked directly.

She shook her head. "I'm afraid he's not. I don't know where he lives right now but he moved out just yesterday. Didn't he tell you?" she asked.

Rufus could tell from the tone of her voice that her defenses were up. He could not blame her attitude towards him because he is completely aware of his reputation in the eyes of people who are not really familiar with him. Deciding to act like everything is normal, he just said, "Well he sent me a text message informing me about his departure from your home, but he did not specify where he's planning to live. I figured that maybe you knew so that I could visit him and thank him personally for his help."

Tifa swallowed hard and shook her head. "I'm sorry but I don't know where he is right now either. Now if you'll excuse me," she said as she stepped out of the house past Rufus before shutting the door.

Rufus, however, could not help but become curious because of what she is wearing. "Gee, what's the occasion? A date?" he asked with a sly smile on his face.

Tifa smiled calmly at her. "Oh no. I'm just heading out for lunch." She answered, trying to sound proud.

"Alone?" he asked.

"Er… yeah." she answered.

"What's the occasion?" he asked.

"It's my birthday." Tifa answered quite uncomfortably. She figured that maybe she could receive a greeting from most conceited man she has ever met based on her first impression on him; however, she is not sure whether she is prepared to receive a greeting from a person like him.

"Oh. Well then how old are you today?" he asked casually.

Tifa blushed slightly. "Uh… 23." She said.

"Getting older and older. It will never stop until you die." Rufus chimed in as he flipped his hair. His remark made Tifa frown and glare frustratingly at him, but it caused no effect on him. "I think I'd like to accompany you to lunch." He declared.

Tifa's left eye twitched. "Oh great. Now my day is ruined. Does he have a mental disorder or something? How come he suddenly wants to go with me for lunch?" she thought to herself in confusion. "Did you take your medication already?" Tifa asked, meaning for it to be a joke because of the sarcasm in her tone, but Rufus took it seriously and answered, "Yes, just this morning and before I went out here to see you."

Tifa was dumbfounded. "To see me?" she asked.

Rufus just avoided her gaze, "Let's go, Tifa." He said as he offered his left hand to her.

Tifa was just stunned. He called her by her first name. Now she became confused on how to refer to him. She just nodded her head uneasily and took his hand. Slowly, they walked away from her house.

"So, where do you want to eat?" he asked her.

Tifa observed his condition. She could tell that he was trying his best to stabilize his breathing, walk properly and to stay alert. "Are you sure you're cured from Geostigma or you missed the rain?" she asked curiously.

"I'm alright. This is just the after-effects of the Diamond Weapon explosion." He answered. "Now where do you want to eat?" he asked.

She swallowed hard. "I… I'm not sure…" she answered.

"Surely you must have something in mind. Don't worry, my treat." He answered.

She stopped walking and let go of him. "Why are you doing this?" she asked. "Do your Turks even know that you're here?" she added.

"_They_ know. And what are you so hung up about? I came to see Cloud but he's gone, and since you're alone and I'm not doing anything anymore, I might as well join you. Besides, we're friends, right?" he asked with a smug look on his face.

"You being friends with Cloud doesn't make me your friend too, but we'll see." She thought silently to herself. But she did not answer him. She did not know how to.

With that, Rufus began to walk again, dragging her with him. "Anyway, my doctors told me that I needed exercise and I needed the fresh air, so I'm taking this opportunity to experience the outside world again away from my room." He said.

Tifa was trying not to mind the fact that people were already staring at them curiously. "Bloody brilliant. I'll bet they're gossiping about it right now and by evening it will reach the whole world; and by tomorrow morning, it will be on the front page of newspapers everywhere." She thought miserably as she just decided to go along with Rufus.

They kept on walking until Rufus spotted a restaurant that seemed to be a little more expensive than what Tifa had in mind. "Here we go." He said as he led her inside.

"But this place is expensive!" Tifa pointed out.

"No, it's not. This restaurant had a branch in Sector 1 before it got ruined. The food here is great." He told her.

"Yes. Sector 1. I know. And the prices are still for Sector 1 people." She muttered to him.

The waiter greeted them and was surprised to recognize Rufus ShinRa as the man who had just entered the restaurant together with a young woman. "…Uh… welcome to…" the waiter stammered.

"Table for two, my good man." Rufus told him. He could not wait for the waiter to finish stammering because he knew it would take him a long time to finish his welcoming spiel due to shock.

The waiter just nodded. "Y…yes, sir." He led them to a table by the window.

Tifa was nice enough to aid Rufus in his seat before taking her own seat across him. The waiter handed them the menus, and while they were deciding on what to order, they had to endure the curious stares they were receiving from the restaurant staff and the other customers.

After giving their orders to the waiter and once the waiter had left their table, Tifa eyed Rufus curiously. "Is there a catch to this?" she asked.

He looked at her ridiculously. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"You're treating me to lunch for my birthday and it's just the two of us. Don't you feel rather awkward that you're with me, of all people?" she asked.

"I don't find it awkward. And thank you for saying the word _birthday_. It just reminded me that I don't have a present for you and that I have to buy you one later on. I'll take you shopping." He decided lightheartedly.

She was just stunned. "Nothing I say can really drive him away from me now… I wonder if he bumped his head or something…" she thought silently to herself.

He noticed her sudden silence and it made him look at her in a weird manner. "You're uncomfortable that we're together, aren't you?" he asked directly.

She was surprised by what he said. She felt like he was not acting like himself, although what can those two years having Geostigma could have done to change him and his personality?

Taking a deep breath, he said, "I'm sorry for whatever misery ShinRa has caused you."

She frowned slightly. "Well nothing you can say can bring back everything that was lost…" she said pessimistically as she bowed down her head and looked away from him, resting her elbows on the table and leaning slightly forward. "But I accept your apology." She said with a slight smile before looking at him again.

He smiled at her. The way he smiled made her wonder why she has not noticed how attractive and charming he really is. She blushed slightly and cleared her throat as she looked away. "We-ll… you seem sincere to me, but don't let it get into your head." She muttered with an uncomfortable look on her face.

He held his breath for a moment before shaking his head. "Ah." Was all he said as he bowed down his head.

She slowly returned her gaze to him, noticing the lifelessness in his blue eyes. She could recall that the first time she laid eyes on those blue pools similar to Cloud's own was on the 70th floor of the ShinRa Building's balcony. Rufus's eyes seemed to be different now. Majority of its life and energy seemed to have died down when the Diamond Weapon attacked and destroyed the ShinRa Building where Rufus was the moment it happened. "So… are you… doing alright?" she asked, deciding that she might as well try to get to know the changed Rufus ShinRa better.

It took a moment before he responded, although he was not looking at her. "I'm doing fine." He told her.

She tilted her head to the sight. "So… you were just in the Healin Lodge all this time? Well now that you're cured from Geostigma, where are you staying now?" she asked curiously.

"The Turks and I are staying with Reeve. They're the ones taking care of me." He explained. "And you? You're living with someone?" he asked.

"My friends, supposedly, however, the house is really mine. I bought it with what I earned from my bar when it was still in Sector 7." She responded with a proud look on her face.

"Supposedly?" he asked.

She took a deep breath and sighed. "They're currently not at home. It's like they all took a vacation in places of their choice without me. But I'm doing fine." She explained with an optimistic smile.

Rufus's mouth twisted in a scornful manner. "Humph. Doing fine you say?" he muttered, totally unconvinced by what she said. "So you're also interested in business, huh?" he asked, wanting to change the subject.

"Well not at first. When I was a little girl I never dreamed of putting up a bar and starting a business out of it." She explained.

"So what did you dream of becoming?" he asked.

She smiled rather dreamily and reminiscently when she answered. "Well… to be completely honest with you, when I was a little girl, I dreamt of becoming a Princess!"

He frowned slightly because of her answer. "That is such an unrealistic dream." He pointed out.

She frowned at him. "Well I'm pretty sure that every girl dreamt of becoming a princess!" she told him.

"No, seriously. Didn't you dream of becoming a doctor or a model or a musician?" he asked.

She blinked. "Well I had many ambitions, but because of life in Nibelheim, it's like my only option was to get married and become a housewife. So I guess it's still a blessing that I ended up in Midgar and was able to stand on my own two feet." She answered with a sad smile on her face.

"Too traditional… the life in Nibelheim, that is…" he remarked. "But everything happens for a reason so cheer up. At least you can proudly say that you're quite independent now." He pointed out.

She smiled at him in amazement. "I can't believe those words are coming out from his mouth…" she thought silently. "And you, Mr. President, did you dream of becoming the President?" she inquired.

The question made him feel uncomfortable because his thoughts began to quickly drift from the present back to the past. He still tried to keep a straight face. "Call me _Rufus_." He corrected before flipping his hair. "Anyway, even if I never dreamed of becoming the President, it's like my future has been mapped out completely even before I was born." He told her.

"Well that's nasty…" she muttered, biting her lower lip. "But did you have other ambitions in mind?" she asked.

He smiled rather naughtily at her. "Would you believe me if I tell you that I wanted to become a rock star?" he asked.

Her eyes widened at him. "A rock star!" she exclaimed in awe.

"I know, isn't it funny?" he asked, but he had sarcasm in his tone.

She began to visualize Rufus ShinRa in her thoughts looking rugged and holding an electric guitar in front of a microphone stand and belting out his tunes at the microphone. "Blimey! It's… so surreal." She remarked, raising her eyebrows. "But do you know how to play any instrument?" she asked.

"Of course I do. I learned the piano and the guitar." He told her.

"But why didn't you pursue that career?" she asked.

"What man could pursue that kind of career when his future has already been planned by his father?" he answered with a disappointed frown on his face. "I even wanted to go to medicine school, but I ended up in business school…" he muttered.

"What about your mother? Didn't she say anything to defend you?" she asked.

"She just left one day when I was finally appointed as Vice President when I turned 15. I don't know where she went. I never even bothered to look for her because she told me not to." He took a deep breath and exhaled heavily. "I guess she just got tired of _defending_ me." He explained.

Tifa lost her words. She felt sorry for Rufus. She just bowed down her head. For many years, she believed that rich people like Rufus are the happiest people in the Planet; however, in his case, it was sad. She realized that Rufus had everything in the material world that he could ever wish for, but he became miserable because his dreams were suppressed, and his family was in chaos. "A blessing or a curse…" she looked at him again. "I'm sorry about that." she sympathized.

"I don't need your sympathy." He muttered, looking away once the waiter arrived again with their orders. Once the waiter had settled their orders on their table and left them, Tifa eyed him in annoyance but did not say anything more. "Fine. You don't need my sympathy. Then why bother telling me all of those?" she was thinking in annoyance as she began to eat.

Rufus just stared at his food blankly for a few moments before deciding to eat. He looked uncomfortable but he still forced himself to put the food inside his mouth, chew slowly and then swallow regretfully.

She noticed his speed of eating. "Are you alright? You don't seem to be enjoying your food." She told him.

He just continued to eat, not even bothering to answer her.

She just took a deep breath and tried to ignore the fact that he just ignored her.

oOoOo

The rest of their lunch had been very quiet. Rufus paid for everything, and when they were on their way out of the restaurant, he suggested that they eat dessert somewhere.

Tifa was beginning to notice the paleness of his face but she did not say anything about it because she knew that he would just think of some excuse to make her believe that he was alright.

They decided to have some cake and iced mocha lattés at a coffee shop just across the street from the restaurant where they had their lunch. Upon entering the coffee shop, Rufus let her sit down and went over to the counter to place their orders and pay.

Tifa just leaned back on her seat, crossing her arms in frustration. "Splendid. Just splendid…" she muttered sarcastically. She was still frustrated about Rufus's attitude towards her during lunch when he told her that he did not need her sympathy; but when she observed him by the counter, she began to replay the events earlier in the restaurant.

Rufus did not need any more sympathy from people, especially from her. What he wanted was her understanding on why he behaves like that. He never had any real friends, and his offer to take her out on her birthday could be an effort to befriend her. But why her? "Maybe Cloud put up a good word for me or something… or maybe because I'm the only one here right now?" she thought silently.

She felt her tension fade away when she came to that realization. She uncrossed her arms and she slowly got up, gathering enough courage to approach him so that she could assist him.

Rufus could sense Tifa approaching from behind him as he was paying for their orders to the cashier.

"What are you doing here?" he asked Tifa without turning around to face her.

She placed her hands behind her back and smiled faintly at him. "I just want to make sure you're alright. I don't want anything bad happening to you…" she answered, but she was nervous when she said that. She did not know how else she could express her thoughts to his question, so she just blurted out whatever was on her mind.

Rufus looked at his cane and clutched it tightly. "I can manage on my own." He told her as he faced her.

Tifa's eyes widened slightly and she began to feel troubled when she noticed the sickly look on his face. He was paler than he was moments ago before they entered the coffee shop. She frowned and eyed him sternly. "I think you need to sit down." She told him as she gently but firmly grabbed his arm and wrapped an arm around his waist to assist him in walking to their seat. He frowned, rolling his eyes. "I am fine." He told her sternly.

She let him sit down, ignoring his last statement. "Now sit there and I'll get our orders, your receipt and your change." She told him before rushing over to the counter.

The lady behind the counter smiled nicely at Tifa as she handed the change to her. "Are you the President's girlfriend?" she asked.

Tifa was surprised by the question. She blushed and her eyes were wide in awe. She just smiled weakly. "Very funny. Thank you." She said before walking back to Rufus to hand him the change and the receipt, and then went back to the counter to get the tray with their cakes and iced mocha lattés.

Rufus refused to look at her at first but when he realized that there was something wrong with his breathing, he clenched his fists and looked up at her as she placed their drinks and their cakes on the table. She set the tray aside and he took a deep breath, praying for his breathing to stabilize as he held his breath for a few seconds before exhaling.

She sat opposite to him. She had a happy look on her face. "Chocolate cake! I love chocolate cake!" she told him.

He blinked and smiled, pleased with himself. "It's nice that you like that. I was thinking what you would like to have." He told her. He was relieved that his breathing had finally stabilized.

"Well you didn't ask me. But you're a good guesser." She remarked with a wink. "And I believe you like it too." she told him.

He looked at his slice of chocolate cake. "Well yes." He answered before taking his fork.

They began to eat.

After swallowing his first bite, he took a sip of mocha latté and observed her quietly. "So tell me... how do you find being with me so far?" he asked.

She looked at him strangely. "Huh?"

"Or would you prefer to be with Cloud the whole day because it's your birthday?" he asked.

She licked her lips and swallowed what she was chewing before wiping her mouth with a tissue. "Whatever gave you that idea? I was supposed to spend the whole day alone in the first place until you came along…" she told him.

"I deem you fancy him." He told her directly with a straight face.

She froze for a few moments before smiling confidently yet gently at him. "You're perfectly fine, Rufus. I like you as a companion. You're even better than Cloud or anyone else, I believe, because you can carry a good conversation with me." She said before grabbing her drink to take a few sips before continuing. "Besides, being with you today made me realize how different you are from all the other rich snobs out there." She added.

He was unable to react to what she said.

"And you, what do you think about me?" she asked.

He was taken aback by the question for a few seconds before telling her, "You're alright." He answered. And then he looked away, focusing his attention on his cake and mocha latté.

She was expecting something more than what he had just told her, but no other compliment followed the "you're alright". She just pouted and grabbed her drink to take a huge sip of mocha latté.

The rest of their conversations in the coffee shop were focused mostly on each of themselves, asking questions to one another about each other.

With each revelation about himself, Tifa felt like she was getting closer to him and wondered if anybody else knew those things that he was telling her.

As for Rufus, he tried to focus every bit of attention he has on Tifa. Every now and then, he would feel sharp surges of pain all over his body, but he continued to ignore them.

After finishing their dessert, they walked down the streets of Edge, still talking about anything under the sun that they could think of while looking for a gift shop. Rufus would not let the opportunity of buying a birthday present for Tifa to pass. They still noticed a lot of people looking their way, but surprisingly, they did not mind those people anymore. "Bah. Let them talk about us. Gossip will get them nowhere. We're the only ones who know about each other, right?" Rufus told her. She smiled at his sudden optimism.

They arrived at a street where there is a line of stores ranging from jewelry to apparel to toys to gadgets and appliances, you name it.

"Do you have anything in mind? Anything you want." He told her.

She thought for a moment. "No, thank you. It's not really necessary…" she told him.

"I insist, Tifa." He told her.

The way he said her name made her feel weird deep inside, but somehow, it urged her to say, "Alright… I've…always wanted a locket. A heart-shaped one." He told her.

He smiled slyly when he heard her say that. "Alright. Where's the nearest jewelry store?" he began to search the area and spotted one. "Here we go." He led her to it.

Once they entered, they were greeted by the shop owner and his assistant.

"Pre…President Rufus! G…Good afternoon, your Excellency." The shop owner (an old man) greeted.

His assistant was a younger man with a thick beard. He was staring curiously at Rufus and Tifa.

Rufus turned to Tifa and told her that he'll do the talking to the shop owner. She just stayed in one corner, looking around while he approached the shop owner. "Good day. I'd like to see your lockets." He mentioned.

The shop owner smiled. "Oh… okay." He said as he took out his collection of lockets from the glass case and showed it to Rufus. "What shape are you looking for, Sir?" he asked.

Rufus began to scan the lockets. "A heart…" he answered softly before spotting a silver heart-shaped locket. "Is this genuine silver?" he asked.

"Of course, sir." The shop owner answered. "You can even have something engraved inside." He added.

"How much is it?" Rufus asked.

"90,000 Gil. It's imported from Mideel, that's why." The shop owner answered.

Rufus kept a straight face as he nodded. "I'll take it. Charge it." He said, handing his credit card to the owner. "And I have something for you to engrave inside it." He told him.

The shop owner took his credit card and summoned for his assistant to come over. "The President wants you to engrave something in the locket." He explained.

The assistant approached Rufus as the shop owner went over to the counter to charge Rufus's purchase to the credit card.

"So, sir, what will it be? Write it down here." The assistant handed over a piece of paper to Rufus with a pen.

Rufus instantly grabbed the pen and began to scribble something quickly on it. After he was done, the assistant got the paper, took the locket and went to the back room where the engraving machine is located.

Tifa approached Rufus. "I'm really grateful for what you're doing." She said with a shy smile on her face.

He just smiled slightly at her, but there was an uncomfortable look in his eyes.

She wondered what was bothering him because he was being so vulnerable towards her. "Is anything the matter?" she asked softly with a concerned tone.

He just looked away. "Nothing is wrong. Don't worry about me." He said, turning his attention to the shop owner to reclaim his credit card. "Thank you, sir." He told the shop owner.

"You're welcome, sir." The shop owner said gratefully.

Tifa just stood still, observing the look on Rufus's face. She wished she knew how else she could talk him into telling her what he felt at that moment, but she had no more ideas how.

After a few moments, the assistant arrived from the back room with a small red velvet box. He handed it over to Rufus. "Here you go, Mister President." He said.

Rufus got the red velvet box. "Thank you." He said before handing the box to Tifa. "Here you go," he said.

Tifa stared at the box in awe before carefully taking it with her trembling hands.

"Alright, let's go," he told her as he led the way outside.

She turned her gaze to him and then looked back at the shop owner and his assistant. "Thank you," she said before following after Rufus.

As soon as the two got out, the shop keeper turned to his assistant. "She's the girl who owns 7th Heaven, right?" he asked.

The assistant nodded. "Yeah. So finally she has a boyfriend. And that's so cool; her boyfriend is the President! I never knew they were seeing each other in the first place!" he said in amazement with a silly smile on his face.

"Well… based from how they're acting in front of us, they're quite discreet about their relationship." The shop owner decided.

oOoOo

The sun was already setting as they were walking back to Tifa's house. She never noticed how fast time went while she was with Rufus the whole afternoon.

They were quiet, however, on the walk home. Rufus seemed to have a lot of other things in mind because his gaze was so distant it made Tifa feel as if she was not even there in his existence anymore so she just focused her attention on watching over him just in case something bad happened to him—for instance, he would fall or trip over something or simply pass out.

Upon reaching Tifa's house, they stopped by her front door.

"What time are you opening tonight?" he asked her.

She looked up at the sign board of her bar and shook her head. "Nah." She looked at him again with a smile on her face. "I'm not opening tonight. It's my birthday; I could use a break." She answered.

He just gazed at her blankly.

She took a deep breath. "So, you … want to come in?" she asked.

He breathed in carefully, thinking things through.

She smiled sweetly. "I can cook some dinner as gratitude for such a wonderful afternoon with you." She told him.

He flipped his hair. "Alright. If you say so." He answered.

She smiled happily. "Splendid!" she cheered excitedly as she got her key from her purse and unlocked the front door. She opened the door for him. "Come on in." she said.

He stepped inside. He looked around with a blank expression on his face.

She shut the door behind them and switched on the lights. "The living room is this way," she said, leading him to the living room where he could sit down and maybe watch some TV or read.

"I'm sorry, this is nothing compared to where you lived all your life, I'll bet." She said with an embarrassed look on her face.

He turned around to face her. "What are you apologizing for?" he asked in wonder before sitting down.

"… well, this place is not really that glamorous compared to where you live…" she began quite hesitantly.

"But this is _home_." He said with a slight smile on his face before turning his gaze to the television. "You don't mind if we just watch some TV? I'm still full from what we ate this afternoon." He told her.

She was stunned but she smiled calmly in relief. "Whatever you say. But… can I fix you something to drink?" she asked.

Rufus thought for a moment before saying, "Something that you haven't served to anyone else, even to your friends."

Her smile faded a little as she looked up at the ceiling. "Sure." She said before rushing to the stairs. "I'll be back. I'll just put my purse and your gift back to my room." She said.

Rufus waited in the living room for around a minute before he heard Tifa rushing down the stairs again and then proceeded to the bar area of her house.

He took a deep breath as he leaned back onto the sofa, relaxing. He inhaled with great difficulty and he could not help but cringe in pain. When he exhaled, his breath was jagged. He clenched his fists and looked at his trembling hands. He could feel his eyes watering… or maybe those are tears? He clenched his jaw and just swallowed hard, trying to convince himself that everything will be okay.

Tifa returned in a short while with a glass filled with red liquid with 4 small ice cubes. "Here you go." She said as she sat down beside him and handed him the drink.

He forced a smile at her and took the drink. "Thank you." He said.

She got the remote and switched on the television, then turned to Rufus who was sniffing the drink.

She giggled. "It's drinkable, don't worry. It's something I've thought of some months ago but I haven't actually made anyone taste it but myself." She told him.

He looked at her with a trusting gaze before taking his first sip of the strange cold cocktail. He took another sip, and then another… until he placed the drink on the coffee table. "It's splendid." He said with a sly smile on his face. "What do you call it?" he asked.

She smiled proudly. "I named it after myself!" she said.

He raised his eyebrows at her. "Oh really?" he asked, quite impressed at her creativity.

"Well yes. It's the first drink that I made that I haven't really made anyone else drink except for myself… and then there's you. Treat it as if… it's something really special that nobody can really just order and taste just for fun." She told him.

He thought for a while. "That's a strange explanation with a double-meaning on it but just pretend that I didn't say that." he said playfully.

She frowned at him. "What? What do you mean?" she asked, pouting.

He eyed her neck. "You're not wearing your locket." He told her, wanting to change the subject.

She touched her neck. "Oh. That. I'll check it out later. So, what do you want to watch?" she asked as she began to surf through channels.

He blinked and turned his attention to the television.

Tifa stopped when she reached one of the music channels. "Oh, I love this song!" she said happily.

Rufus smiled slightly. "Me too." he murmured before turning his attention back to her. He looked at her face as if he was taking a mental picture of her. When she noticed that he was staring at her, she looked back at him curiously and then smiled sweetly. "Thank you for spending the afternoon with me. I really appreciate it." She said.

He had a sad look on his face; the kind of look that she had not expected from someone seemingly cold-hearted as him. "You're welcome." He said before taking her hand and squeezed it gently. "And don't worry. If nobody can be with you, just tell me. I'll join you wherever you are." He said softly.

She was stunned by his sudden behavior but she just decided to play along. She smiled softly at him before leaning her head against his shoulder. She was glad to have befriended Rufus ShinRa.

oOoOo

Rufus and Tifa spent the rest of the evening watching music videos on the music channels, until the clock struck 10 and he decided that he should be going home already.

When they parted, Tifa went upstairs to her bedroom and got dressed in her pajamas. As she sat on her bed, she got the red velvet box and opened it, exposing the silver heart-shaped locket that he gave her.

She smiled dreamily before putting it aside on her bedside table before deciding to lie down, switch off her lamplight and go to sleep.

Her dreams were filled with images of herself and Rufus together strolling in a garden filled with red roses. They were just talking and holding hands; they looked so happy together.

…And by morning, she was awakened by the sound of her mobile phone ringing. She checked the time; it read 7:00. She then got her mobile phone and checked the caller ID. It was Reno. She instantly sensed that there must be something wrong.

She answered it with a worried tone. "H…hello?"

"Miss Lockhart?" Reno asked. He sounded serious.

"Yes. You're calling?" she asked.

"Yeah… The Prez went home quite late last night. He admitted spending time with you…" he began.

"Is he alright? Did he get home safely?" she asked.

"I think you should come over here. I'll text you the address." Reno said before hanging up.

oOoOo

As soon as Tifa got the text message from Reno, she instantly got dressed in her everyday clothes and went over to the place where Reeve is staying. She was greeted by Elena on the front door. She looked distressed.

"Is everything alright?" Tifa asked, feeling so weakened by the tension and the depression in the atmosphere.

Elena smiled sadly at her. "Miss Lockhart… the President… died last night." She revealed with a shaky tone.

The news made Tifa's heart shatter. She was speechless and her brown eyes were wide in shock.

Elena took her hand. "Come on inside… Mr. Reeve and Boss Tseng will explain…" she said.

Tifa did not know what or how to think. She felt as if she was led blindly to the waiting room where Reeve and Tseng were waiting for her.

"Miss Lockhart," Tseng greeted.

Tifa was eyeing the floor before slowly turning her gaze to them. She still could not speak. Her thoughts were filled with confusion.

Reeve was quiet for a moment, observing Tifa's reaction while waiting for her to say something. When she did not speak up, he initiated, "Rufus had been wanting to see you ever since last week. His condition worsened just two days ago; Mr. Strife even came over here to check on him."

Tifa took a deep breath and swallowed hard, "I thought he's cured from Geostigma?" she asked.

"He is cured from Geostigma, but the after-effects of the Diamond Weapon explosion were still present in his system. There was nothing the doctors could do. The added stress from Kadaj worsened his condition even more…" he explained.

She clenched her fists and just turned away, biting her lower lip. "Why are you telling me this? Shouldn't you be telling Cloud firsthand?" she demanded before leaving the room. "I'm leaving." She said.

oOoOo

The moment Tifa got back home, she went upstairs to her room, picked up the red velvet box and opened it, staring at the heart-shaped locket. She pulled it out from the box with a trembling hand and opened it. It did not have any picture yet, but she saw the engravings on the left side which read: "_For Tifa. Love from Rufus._"

It was at the moment when she read his name when tears finally fell from her eyes. She started to cry as she clutched the locket tightly in her grasp.

And just like yesterday, she spent the whole morning in her room, lying down on her bed. She had ceased her tears, suppressing her sadness deep inside as she stared into empty space. Her mind was blank all of a sudden.

By 1 in the afternoon, she slowly got up from the bed with a sad smile on her face as she remembered his words from last night: "_And don't worry. If nobody can be with you, just tell me. I'll join you wherever you are._"

Carefully, she wore the necklace around her neck with the locket, and with that, she left the room to do the household chores that she failed to do yesterday.

oOoOo

-the end-

Author's Note: It's quite sad (what the hell, it **is** sad). Tragic. Bah. Whatever. Because I'm feeling morbid and tragic when I first thought of this. Yes, it's a one-shot but it took me almost week to finish this (I started this on the evening of Tifa's birthday which is May 3).


End file.
